Switch



W 9 193$ H. BAKER 9 9 1 SWITCH Filed March 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F1 Inventm' April 7, 1936 1 H, BAKER Z36$14 SWITCH Filed March 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 iJNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric switches of the knife or blade type and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, novel operating means through the medium of which the switch may be conveniently opened. without arcing.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a switch of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly eiiicient and reliable in operation, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of a switch constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the invention embodied in a three blade switch.

Figure 4 is a detail View in section through the rockable insulating bars extending between the blades shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral l designates a box of substantially conventional construction having mounted therein an insulating base 2. The reference numeral 3 designates blades which are pivotally mounted, as at 4, on the base 2, the free end portions of said blades 3 being engageable with resilient jaw contacts 5 on said base 2. A connector 6 of insulating material extends between the free ends of the blades 3.

Journaled transversely in the box l adjacent the lower portion of the insulating base 2 is a rocker shaft 1 which terminates, at one end, in an operating handle 8 adjacent one of the side walls of said box Fixed on an intermediate portion of the rocker shaft 1 is a fork 9 which straddles a headed pin Iii which is anchored in a bar H of insulating material, said bar I! being journaled between the blades 3 adjacent the pivots 4 of said blades, as at I2. A coil spring i3 is mounted on the pin it and engaged with the fork 9 for yieldingly connecting the rocker shaft 1 to the insulating bar ll. Washers M are provided between the spring I3 and the fork 9 and the headed free end of the pin I0.

It is believed that the operation of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. When the switch is in closed position, the resilient jaw contacts 5 frictionally retain the blades 3. When the switch is to be opened, the shaft 1 is actuated through the medium of the handle 8 in a direction to swing the fork 9 away from the insulating bar 4!, thus compressing the spring 13. When the spring it has been compressed sufficiently to overcome the frictional grip of the resilient jaw contacts 5 on the blades 3, said blades are swung rapidly to fully open position in a manner to prevent arcing and consequent burning. Of course, when the rocker shaft 7 is actuated in the opposite direction the fork 9 engages the insulating bar H for closing the switch. If desired, a nut may be threaded on the outer portion of the pin it] to permit the tension of the spring !3 to be adjusted as desired.

In Figure 3 of the drawings, the outer blades of a three blade type of switch are desi nated by the reference numeral !5 and the intermediate blade is indicated at [6. As best seen in Figure 4, a pin I! is mounted transversely in the lower portion of the intermediate blade it for rotatably supporting the inner ends of a pair of insulating bars I8. This form of the invention is otherwise substantially similar in construction and operation to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rocker shaft l9, of course, being provided with a pair of forks 2E! operatively connected with the rockable insulating bars 18, the handle 25 of said rocker shaft [9 being provided with a loop or eye 22.

It is believed that the many advantages of a switch constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although preferred embodiments of the invention are as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that further modifications and changes in the details of construction may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

A switch of the class described comprising a box, an insulating base mounted. in said box, spaced contacts pivotally mounted on said insulating base, resilient contacts mounted on the base and adapted for engagement by the blades, a bar of insulating material rockably mounted between said blades, a rocker shaft journaled in the box, means for actuating said rocker shaft, a headed pin projecting from the bar, a fork fixed on the rocker shaft and straddling the pin, and a spring mounted on said pin and engaged with the fork for yieldingly connecting the blades to the rocker shaft for actuation thereby to open position when said rocker shaft is actuated in one direction, said fork being engageable with the bar for swinging the blades to closed position when the rocker shaft is actuated in the opposite direction.

HEISE BAKER. 

